Track maintenance tool



Aug.l 14, 1945. v

J. G. SCHAEUFELE. 'TRACK MAINTENANCE Toot.

'jFild snapt. 2, `1943 Eigl;

55"? vhf.'

PELE, A'

SH01/mu Patented Aug. i4, 1945 UNITED STATES PAT-ENT OFFICE TRACK MAINTENANCE TOOL y .lohn G. Schaeufele, Fort Knox, Ky.

Application September 2, 1943, Serial No. 500,933

(Granted under, the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 3710 O; G. 757') 4 Claims.

The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to' me of any royalty thereon.

The present invention pertains to a novel maintenance tool for use in connection with endless track of track-laying vehicles, such as combat tanks, for example. Such track consists in many cases of an endless, interconnected series of blocks. More speciiically, the track for which the present tool is designed consists of blocks with pins extending from the ends, the pins of adjacent blocks being joined by an enclosing connector or clip with a tightening wedge.

In service,it is frequently necessary to replace a track block without removing the track from the vehicle. The track is ordinarily under tension on the vehicle, and the operation of reunting the track after it has been severed requires considerable force.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a maintenance tool adapted to remove the connector when a damaged block must be removed and also, after substitution of a new block, to bring the ends together so that they may be reunited under the conditions previously described. Another object of the invention is to provide such a tool which may be operated manually, quickly and under adverse conditions of military service.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is disclosed, by way of example, in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the tool applied to the track for pulling the connector; y

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a side elevation illustrating the operation of bringing the track ends together, and

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

The track in this case comprises a series of blocks l with pins 2 extending from the lateral edges thereof. The pins are positioned close to the meeting edges of the blocks in order to be held by a connector which serves as an articulator. The connector comprises a body 3 suitably apertured at 4 to receive a pair of pins when brought together. The body is formed with a projecting wall 5 having two curved ends 6 adapted to embrace and give further support to the pins inserted in the apertures 4. A wedge 'I is inserted between the pins and is formed with a screw 8 passed through an opening 9 in theintermediate part of the wall 5. rlhe wedge is drawn up by a nut I0 on the screw 8. A track guide II extends vertically from the body 3 and cooperates with the tool in a manner which will presently be described. This combined connector and the guide is already known in the art and does not form a part of this invention.

The tool consists of a .rigid elongated body formed by a pairv of spaced and parallel, elongated side plates I2 between which, at one end, is inserted a block I3 formed with an upwardly extending hook or jaw I4. The plate-sare secured to the block by a boit and nur l5.

Between the remaining ends of the plates I2 is secured a bearing block I6 held by a bolt and nut I'I. A screw shaft I8 disposed between the plates I2 has a blank end I9 journaled in and passing through the bearing IB. The free or exposed end of the shaft, beyond the plates I2, carries a ratchet 20 ixed thereto and a pawl level` 2| pivotally mounted thereon. The lever is operated to turn the pawl and screw in a manner well known in the art.

On the screw is threaded a sliding block or nut 22 disposed between the plates I2 and formed with a hook or jaw 23 extending outwardly therefrom and opening towards the open side ofv they jaw I4, as clearly shown in Figure 2. At the opposite side from the hook 23, the nut 22 has an extended bottom piece 24 carrying a pair of pins 25 lying parallel to the plates I2 and spaced apart equally to the pins 2 in the connector.

A pin 26 extends vertically downward from the bottom of the forward block I3, midway between the horizontal pins 25, and is of such size as to be received in the opening 9 of the wall 5, as will be described. A bolt 2l extends angularly upward from the forward wall of the block I 3 and carries an adjustable cap screw 28, also for a purpose that will presently appear."

'I'he operation of pulling a connector off the track is illustrated in full lines in Figures l and 2.

` Ihe wedge 'I is first removed. The pin 26 is inserted in the opening 9, and the horizontal pinsv 25 engage the ends of the block pins 2. It will be understood that the tool must be dirnensioned according to the track on `which it is to be used. The tool is positioned so that the pins 25 are horizontal, or in alinement with the pins 2, and the cap screw 28 is adjusted to engage the guide II. The ratchet lever 2| is then turned in the direction that would normally feed the block 22 towards the tracks. However, since the block is held stationary by the pins 2B, 2 and 25, the remainderof the tool is drawn in the opposite direction, whereby the connector is pulled off the pins 2. The engagement of the cap screw 28 with 2 y f f the guide I l holds the tool from being swung upward under the force applied to the screw.

When the severed ends of the track are to be reunited, for example, after a defective block has been replaced, the screw is turned to withdraw the jaw 23 from the jaw I4 a sufficient distance to receive between th'em the separated pins 2'. In this case the tool lies lengthwise of the track, while in the previous operation it lay transversely, as shown in Figure 3.

The screw is now turned in the reverse direction until the pins 2 are brought to the spacing of the openings 4 in the connector. The pins 2 project axially beyond th'e jaws I4, 23, as shown in Figure 4, suiflciently topermit the connector body 3 to be applied thereto. The jaws are now released and withdrawn and the connector hammered back on the pins 2. Finally, the wedge i is inserted in the position described and is tightened by the nut I on the bolt 8 thereof.

It is to be understood that there is usually one tool on each side of the track to pull the track together in a suiiciently parallel manner as to permit the end connectors to be applied to the projecting ends of the pins.

Although a specic embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be understood that various alterations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A tool of th'e character described comprising a rigid elongated body, a screw mounted lengthwise thereof and rotatable therein, means for turning said screw, a xed jaw carried by said body, a complementary jaw threaded on said screw, and a projection extending from said complementary jaw towards the xed jaw and disposed outside of said body, said projection extending beyond the xed jaw in the line of movement of said complementary jaw when said complementary jaw has moved up to said fixed jaw.

2. A tool of the character described comprising a rigid elongated Ibody, a screw mounted lengthwise thereof and rotatable therein, means for turning said screw, a fixed jaw carried by said body, a complementary jaw threaded on said screw, an anchoring pin extending from said fixed jaw and adapted to be interlocked with the work, and a projection extending from said complementary jaw towards the fixed -jaw and disposed outside of said body, said projection extending longitudinally across said xed jaw in a closed position of the tool.

3. A tool of the character described comprising a rigid elongated body, a screw mounted lengthwise thereof and rotatable therein, means for turning said screw, a iixed jaw carried by said body, a complementary jaw threaded on said screw, and a projection extending from said complementary jaw towards the xed jaw and disposed outside of said body, and an adjustable brace extending from said fixed jaw and adapted for engagement with the work, said projection extending longitudinally across said xed jaw in a closed position of the tool.

4. A tool of the character described comprising a rigid elongated body, a, screw mounted lengthwise thereof and rotatable therein, means for turning said screw, a iixed jaw carried by said body, a complementary jaw threaded on said screw, an anchoring pin extending from said iixed jaw and adapted to be interlocked with the work, and a projection extending from said complementary jaw towards the xed jaw and disposed outside of said body, and an adjustable brace extending from said fixed jaw and adapted for` engagement with the work, said projection extending longitudinally across said xed jaw in a closed position of the tool.

JOHN G. SCHAEUFELE. 

